Rent-a-Pet Coming To Boston?
Pet rentals in Boston? Boston City Council seems think the idea isn’t so hot.
Loaner Labs and borrowed beagles will be banned in Boston if the City Council chews to pieces the latest time-saving trend: dog rentals.
A proposed prohibition on cash-and-carry canine membership clubs like FlexPetz – an international agency that purports to be sniffing out locations in Boston – will be taken up at City Hall today at 1 p.m. by the council’s Committee on Government Operations.
“To rent a dog just seems wrong. It seems very self-indulgent,” said Councilor Michael Ross, the committee’s chairman. “I’m not for legislating morality, but it just seems like cruel and unusual treatment of a poor, defenseless animal.”
It does seem a little bizarre, and I can certainly envision animal rights activists having a fit over this.
FlexPetz – currently in New York, Los Angeles and London – pairs dog lovers whose lifestyle restrictions have them on a short leash with rescued and “rehomed” pooches for “Daily Doggy Time.”
To join, FlexPetz charges a $100 monthly membership fee. Members agree to purchase a minimum four $45 rentals per month. Their in-home training costs $150, on top of a $99 annual fee.
Jennifer Wooliscroft, spokeswoman for the Animal Rescue League of Boston, said, “We are against (renting dogs). It treats a living being as a commodity.”
Pet owners in town agree.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. It’s weird,” said Rana Juster, 26, of Cambridge, playing fetch with her cockapoo Burger.
“It’s kind of crazy,” said Terry Kelly, 40, of Boston, strolling with Tek, a golden retriever-poodle mix. “I can see some guy picking up a pup to go out and pick up girls.”
Natalie Carpenter, 30, of Watertown said her big, beautiful chocolate lab Bella needs the kind of routine only a permanent, loving home can provide.
“She’s my life,” Carpenter said. “I bring her everywhere with me.”
Trish Kapur, 30, of Boston, enjoying a day of bonding with her cairn terrier Kona Bear, said, “I’d be interested in seeing how they take care of the dogs when they’re not being rented. Just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean people are doing the right thing.”
I can certainly see their point, and my gut reaction is that the idea is wrong. However, if the animals are properly cared for while not being “rented” and the “renters” take good care of them, how is that different than the millions of parents in this country and around the world that shell out top dollar so that a stranger can raise their children, or so they dump their human commodities in day care.
Let’s face it, in this day and age, paying someone else to take care of your child is routine. If these pet rental agencies are regulated in some fashion, who’s getting hurt here? Sure, there may be guys who want to rent a dog with the hopes of picking up women, but as long as the animal is cared for, where is the harm? As one of the Boston pet owners in the article said, some dogs may require a “routine” that only a permanent home can provide. If this is true for animals, how come we think nothing of dropping off our (human) children during their most impressionable years to spend hours at a day care facility with someone who doesn’t them? Or how about shared custody situations with divorced parents and their children? That’s not really a permanent home. We know that has an effect on children, but we think nothing of it. And the big worry here is that a few dogs may get a little confused?
If these rent-a-pet companies treat their animals in a loving and caring manner between rentals, and the people who rent the animals are “screened” in some fashion, why not let these companies set up shop in Boston to see if there is a market for this kind of service, and see how it goes?
In this case, as long as the company cares for the animals and they screen their clients, I say let the market decide, not Boston City Council.
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TAGS: animal rights, Boston City Council, day care, FlexPetz.
Aaron Margolis is a life long resident of the Bay State, and works at an architectural firm north of Boston. Aaron has a Master of Architecture Degree from Boston Architectural College and is currently in the process of becoming of a Registered Architect.
It’s actually a very humane idea. The idea is growing across the country very quickly. The premise is that there are lots of people who love pets, but many realize they don’t have the time to care for them all day long. Single men who love dogs, but don’t have one because they would be forced to leave the pet at home alone all day while they work – are a perfect example. This way they get to spend time with a dog, but not force the dog to sit unattended in a lonely home during the day or week.
The dogs are actually better cared for as they get genuine attention while their “owned” counterparts are often forgotten and pushed aside.
Does everyone enjoy being distracted? Property taxes anyone, state budget? Talk shows spent hours on dog subject…our rulers in state house and city hall were all chuckling…I heard one say…”I told you it woyuld work” That takes care of Monday…Sox/Rays will take the rest of the week and it’s the 4th…see you in September… Keep up good work Jim and Margary (OOH, that foolish schoolgirl laugh) If there’s any down time don’t forget to return to police datails issue…
While I agree with Mr. X……
Mark, have you ever even owned a dog? Humane? Are you kidding me? Dogs thrive on routine. They need someone who is going to care for them and….lets face it….be their MASTER. So some yuppie pantload wants to take a dog to Castle Island to pick up chicks…..that’s humane?
“Forced” to leave a dog at home all day? Boo hoo. Dogs need SLEEP. Much more than we require. Most dogs will do quite well at home all day if you make time for them every day. What you are talking about is jerking some poor dog out of his environment to go with you because you feel like having a dog at that moment, but don’t want the RESPONSIBILITY of being a dog owner. (I’ve been a dog owner for 30 years.)
It’s a get rich quick scheme. Next thing you know, they will be starting the “rent-a-kid” franchise in a yuppie neighborhood near you.
Now back to the state house where nothing is going on but giving illegal aliens free in state tuition…….
A sleeping giant has been awakened to defend man’s best friend…V!
Speaking of dogs, hope everyone has been to a dog race since the “dog-lovers” will be ending racing with their ballot q this fall.
Vote No to keep the eight dog running…he likes it!
Across the street from my office is a dog day care center. Local workers drop off their dogs in the morning and then at lunch time take them for a walk. Great excercise for the dog and the person. The dogs get to play with other dogs and they aren’t left alone all day. What is being proposed is the same thing except that the people don’t own the dog.
And yes, I have owned many dogs.
Mark;
Then I’d have to say that you were/are a horrible pet owner. As I said above, dogs need stability. Owning a pet isn’t “rent-a-pet”.
Even doggie day care is more about the human than the dog. It is those people who either went in to owning a pet without knowing what it was about; bought a dog that needed more human interaction; bought a dog and then didn’t train it; or have a dog and feel “guilty” about leaving it at home.
If you want to spend time with a dog, there are plenty of shelters that have dogs you can volunteer to walk. The poor dogs in the shelter get something out of it, and so do the volunteers.
Oh, but wait….that isn’t “yuppie cool”.
They already have a rent a kid service, anyone ever hear of Big Brothers Big Sisters? I know people who love kids and want to hang out with them, but just dont have the resources to have their own, so what do they do? They go out and become a Big Brother and they hang out with a kid a few times a month. My friends who do this are wicked excited to do the most random and mundane things with these kids (Im an older brother to more than one sibling so, been there done that, not exciting anymore for me.)
So we can rent out kids, but not dogs?
Matt;
The BIG difference here is that you don’t RENT a kid.
Obviously you misunderstand what the Big Brothers Big Sisters is all about. Maybe you want to do a little reading about them before you compare being a Big Brother/Stster to renting a kid or a dog.
There are so many things wrong with your post I don’t even know where to begin…….
Aaron’s comments regarding day care seem very uninformed to me. Many families don’t have the luxury of being able to make it on one income while the other parent stays home to take care of the children, especially in cities like Boston where the cost of living is so high. So please think before you make uninformed statements about an institution that is a neccessity for many working families.
Wild Bill…
Did you get this off MSN?…